The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-23
winter. In the cooler weather the bats are not

winter. In the cooler weather the bats are not
satisfied with a single layer. but ara attached
like swarms OF bees, hanging down. The high
est temperature in the highest part Of the cave
is CO. in the winter This cave is floored in two
stories Passing On one goes through numerous
halls, corridors, arches and domes, which are
occupied to greater or less extent by these
cheiroptera wing handed animals, IS they are
scientifically called. For reasons known to
themselves alone some of the rooms are favored
spots, while others are rarely occupied by them.
1.-THE southern route in the cave was discoy
cred in 1850 and was unvisited UP to that time
by quadrupeds like raccoons and opossuEls, be-
cause the opening was too small for them to
pass through. The current of air passing 10
was slight and the temperature uniform This
made it favcrite place for these furry flyers.
The second hall, Bats Lodge, az it is named,
is spacious in which the bats delight to
assemble for council purposes, it would appear.
as well as sleep. / saw the ceiling largely Gov
cred with clusters Of them crowded closely to-
gether Disturbed by our entrance, the room
was filled with their slight, plaintive, whining,
whispering voices and the disagreeabe odor of
their bodies. My first visit was III the early
autumn. The results noted were taken In De-
cember. when the outer world was cold enough
to close the Ohio river with ice, and the Their
mometer at the mouth of the cave was from six
to twelve degrees below zero. The bats were
evidently alternating. and, although somewhat
torpid, yet when disturbed, in falling they
dropped a distance of six or eight feet their
bodies rarely fell to the ground. Recovering
the use of their wings. they would fly back to
one OF the clusters. There are two kinds of bats
in Indiana-the red bat and the common black
bat. The red bat is the Southern type and is
rare, only occasional specimens having been
taken"
Here the reporter interposed TO ask the Pro-
fessor il he had seen the beautiful specimen of a
red bat kept III cigar box for several days
three or for years ago by James IL Rice, now
retiring Auditor of State Hundreds of curious
gentlemen, among them number Of scientists,
called upon Mr.. Rice to see this rare specimen.
Mr. Rice was always pleased to show it to them
On opening the cigar box the bat would prove to
be briek-bat. and tho naturalists would depart
in deep disgust
The Professor declined to say whether or not
he had been victim to tie hoax, and continued:
'Our bats are small. from six to eight inches
from tip to tip of wing. The vampire bat of
South America has spread of two feet and
well-developed teeth. The fossil bat. of Solen-
hofen, in Germany, had spread of wing of
three and half to four feet, with we'll
developed bones strengthening the wings and
with teeth from quarter to a third of an inch
long. OF course, the expression as blind as a
bat is not only inelegant and vulgar, butt it is in
bats eyes being almost microscopic in intensity.
''The largest of the bat tribe now extant is
the roussette, or flying fox. AS it was named by
sailors who discovered it. It is in Tinor, one of
Timor is favored with bats, having, all told,
| fifteen species. and, in addition, only seven
| other species of mammals. The name flying
! foxes applied to them account of the
| color of their fur and the foxlke appearance of
| their head. Some of them measure five feet in
| expanse of wing. They are harmless. They
| would not, to people over here, suggest them
| selves as very tempting article of diet. But
the Timorites think differently. They find the
| flesh of these bats white, sweet and tender.
The body, with the head, is about foot long
1--WE had at one time in Indiana and all over
| western America. the largest species of bat
known. Prof. O. G. Marsh describes this mon
ster bat as having spread of wings exceeding
twenty feet, with strength to attack and destroy
animals of large size This bat existed long
before the earth was inhabited by man"